All's Fair in Love and War
by Related To Italy
Summary: Yuri knew her duty: protect her prince at all costs. When Prince Kiku takes it upon himself to travel to England to be a dignitary, Yuri goes with him. Little did they know the infamous Captain Kirkland would board their ship! As her prince and the captain grow closer, how is she supposed to do her job correctly when she keeps being sent away? Especially whenever the two are alone?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.**

Chapter 1:

Dark eyes scanned the deck of the Japanese ship. The ship and its officers were both elegant and as large as they could get, that much the scanner could deduce. After all, a son of the royal family should have the best protection.  
"Yuri, come here." Yuri spun around instantly, at her master's side in a flash.  
"Yes, Kiku-sama?" she asked, her normally dull black eyes lighting a bit.  
"Yuri," he said gently, "I've told you countless of times not to call me that. It's embarrassing."  
"As you say Kiku-sama." Yuri said, not daring to call her prince so casually. Kiku sighed, already used to this behavior. He settled for placing his hands on the railing of the ship, gazing out at the open expanse of sea.  
"Isn't this amazing, Yuri? Only us and the sea. It's hard to believe the Western nations exist when we are far out here. Like Japan isn't right over the horizon."  
"But they do exist Kiku-sama. We left Japan only yesterday." Yuri frowned; she would not be pleased if she had gotten false information. Kiku sighed, and ruffled Yuri's hair playfully, cut short because of her job as a bodyguard.  
"Would you sing me a song, Yuri? Maybe an English one, we need to practice the language more . . ."  
"What would you like me to sing, Kiku-sama?"  
"Hmm . . . what about that one about that queen, the one of argyle? That one is pretty." He said, staring out at the sea, his eyes drifting closed as Yuri began to sing.  
"_Gentlemen it is my duty  
To inform you of a beauty,  
Though I'd ask of you a favor not to seek her  
For a while.  
Though I own she is a creature,  
Of character and feature,  
No words could paint a picture,  
Of the queen of all Argyle_!"  
Yuri's pronunciation was perfect, being a kunoichi and having to sometimes spy on the English gentlemen. Kiku's English, on the other hand, could use some work. But they'd have an interpreter regardless, but Kiku would prefer to know exactly what the English were saying. He'd been sent over to England to be a dignitary after all. There had been pirate raids lately near the coast of Okinawa and the English needed to be reassured. Resting his head on his fists, Kiku thought longingly of his beautiful and peaceful Japanese residence.  
Would that he be there instead . . .

~~Time Skip~~

It had been a few days since they set out from Japan. Yuri and Kiku had both adjusted well to life at sea. Kiku normally spent time inside his cabin, studying English, while Yuri helped with odd-jobs on the ship. That day, the captain had told them that they would arrive in Europe in only a few weeks, the winds and tide were on their side. When they reached Italy, they'd travel across the continent to France and from there take a ship across the English Channel. It was simple, they'd have no troubles, until . . .  
"Captain, there's a ship on the horizon. It's a British vessel!"  
Kiku, who happened to be on deck walking, looked to where the man in the crow's nest was pointing. Yuri, who had been tying knots with a sailor at her side looking amazed, looked as well and quickly tied off her knot before skipping to her master's side.  
"We should go below deck, Kiku-sama." She said, her gut clenching at the sight of the ship. The captain agreed with her; he didn't hear of any British trading vessel in these areas.  
"It would be best if you did, Your Highness." Yuri ushered Kiku into his cabin. Then she strapped on her metal arm and shin guards, tying a chest plate over her short kimono and strapping her wakizashi to her back and kunai everywhere else around her body.  
"Yuri . . ." Kiku said, a bit awed, "Do you think it will come to needing that?" Yuri finished tying a metal-plated headband around her forehead.  
"I certainly hope not Kiku-sama, but the feeling that came from that ship was not good. Please arm yourself." Although Kiku would not dress in the full armor, he conceded to a chest guard and a helm, holding his katana in his lap. They sat in seiza, falling into Zen meditation. Loud shouting came from above deck, and then the sound of a cannon ball being launched and a loud splashing sound as it missed their ship. Yuri and Kiku sat, still in perfect calm and began to stretch, loosening their muscles for a fight. There was more cannon ball firing, and once or twice the sound of the heavy cannon ball on wood. Unfortunately, it was their ship getting smashed. Yuri and Kiku were thrown into the wall of the cabin as the two ships crashed together. The shouts were louder as the pirates boarded their ship.  
"Come, Kiku-sama, we can't let them catch us here without protection." Yuri took her master's hand and dragged him out of their rooms, towards the back of the ship. There was a loud crashing, that signified the pirates breaking through the door to get below deck. The sailors had fallen then. "Stay here Kiku-sama, I will draw them off." Yuri said, already knowing their chances of survival were slim to none. She turned, only to be caught by Kiku before she could run off.  
"As if I could let my childhood friend charge off like that." he said, smiling gently, "I'm afraid you'll have to tolerate my presence."  
Yuri smiled back, "Keep up then. Don't let yourself die, okay?"  
"I'll cut off my pinky later." Kiku said, as they began going back the way they came. Yuri chuckled and they turned the corner, coming across their first pirates. Not expecting anyone below deck so soon, the two men were dead with a kunai in their necks before they hit the ground. Yuri ran by, stooping low to take the kunai from their throats before running on. The small weapons were expensive. They were not so lucky the next encounter, as they came across a group of seven, already digging through the cabins for plunder. One, two, three fell with a kunai in their throats before the rest came up on guard. Quickly, Yuri drew her wakizashi and sliced one across the stomach, not even reacting as his guts spilled out, filling the narrow hallway with a stinking scent. She stabbed at one, deep, but not large. He parried her next attack and she kicked at his knee, breaking it. He yelled out, no doubt drawing the attention of others. Yuri clicked her tongue, slashing his throat quickly, while drawing a kunai. One tried to get around her, to get at Kiku who was still reeling from the deaths. He got two lightning quick kicks, one in the knee and one between his legs. He dropped like a stone and Yuri's drawn kunai severed his spinal cord. The seventh made a downward slash and Yuri raised her left arm, tilting it a bit so the sword glanced off her metal guards. The force still hurt, but she forced the pain to the back of her mind. One-handed, her blade reversed in her hand, and she swung the blade behind his legs and drew it back, hamstringing him. As he fell, Yuri drew her wakizashi across the major blood vessel in his neck. She turned to check on Kiku, to make sure he wasn't hurt. He was right behind her, with her four kunai in his hands, dying his pretty white hands red.  
"That was impressive Yuri. I didn't know you were so good." He said as she claimed the weapons, wiping them on her kimono.  
"Of course, Kiku-sama. For you, only the best protection." Yuri said, as they came across another group. This time, it was only two but they had firearms. One shot, the bullet brushing past Yuri's arm, by then she was close enough for hand-to-hand combat. Grabbing the gun of the one who shot, she yanked it out of his hands and slammed the butt of it into his face, knocking him out, before swinging the firearm at the other's head. He blocked with his own gun, smirking down at her.  
"Not bad little girl."  
"Metal flowers are sprouting."  
"Wha-?" The sudden pain in his stomach completed her sentence before she spoke it.  
"In your stomach." When he fell, Yuri salvaged one kunai of the three she threw at him, the others having been too deeply buried in his corpse. "Kiku?"  
"FREEZE." A voice shouted at her, and Yuri did, already knowing the situation. Kiku had been captured.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Drop your weapons, nice and easy and this guy won't get it." Her kunai and wakizashi clattered dimly to the wooden deck of the ship. "Now slowly look at us." Yuri slowly turned, seeing a blade pressed to Kiku's neck as well as several firearms aimed at herself.  
"Yuri . . ." Kiku breathed the word, Yuri reading it on his lips. She could see the poorly masked fear in his eyes. Rage engulfed her, though she quickly got a handle on it, glaring at the men.  
"Holy Heavens above, what a demonic looking- is that a girl?" The one speaking was a tall, well-built man, with a white sleeveless shit that showed tanned, toned and very strong arms. He wore plain brown breeches and old boots with a sash that held a sword, a pouch and a dagger. His hair was sandy blond and his eyes were as blue as the sky. He had a bright smile on his face, despite his words. "What, this scrawny thing offed ten of our men? _Ten_? That's pathetic. She's only a little girl." Pride made Yuri want to object to that. She was seventeen, a woman and a kunoichi trained for as many years as she had been alive. But she didn't. Not when Kiku was in danger. Anything could set them off.  
"Come here girl, your hands far above your head. No tricks now. Walk forward slowly." Yuri did as they said, soon feeling the barrel of a gun press against her temple. The Leader-man stepped forward with rope and pulled her arms down, tying them behind her back, with the forearms tied together. "Forgive me for the rough treatment but I'm taking no chances with you." Yuri remained silent. "Alright men, let's get these guys above deck and tied to the mast and then we'll continue looting." There were ragged cheers, but Yuri could feel their fear of her . . . but she could also feel her own fear for Kiku.

They were dragged unceremoniously to the top deck. All the sailors they set off with were either dead, dying or captured. Currently, a blond man with an extravagant feathered hat and bright red coat was talking to the captives, offering them a place on his ship and if they refused, he signaled to one of his men and they killed the Japanese men. Yuri felt a fierce pride in her nation as the last one was killed. They hadn't betrayed their country even facing death. Tears leaked out of her eyes with pride overwhelming in her heart. Kiku realized this too, tears in his eyes as well.  
"Aww . . ." one pirate said, "They're crying for their dead mates."  
"Captain!" the Leader-man called to the blond man with the red coat, "we found these precious little things below deck." The blond man looked over at them, his face startlingly pretty for a foreigner, though his eyebrows were rather large. His eyes were a green as the emeralds Yuri saw the queen wearing. They were beautiful, but cold.  
"Who are they, Alfred?" he asked in a posh British accent. The blue-eyed man grinned.  
"This girl killed ten men. She's pretty powerful."  
"And the other?"  
Alfred's face went blank. "Uh . . . I didn't see him kill, but he was with her."  
The blond captain stood and walked with a certain swagger that wasn't just from a rocking ship. He crouched down in front of Kiku, pinching the prince's face between his thumb and forefinger.  
"This is a pretty one." He said, tiling Kiku's face this way and that. "Can you speak English?"  
"Werr enough." Kiku answered evenly. The captain chuckled.  
"That accent is bloody awful." He said, releasing Kiku's face, but not rising.  
Kiku nodded, "I am not as good as I should be."  
"Yes, you were better at it when you were younger." The captain agreed. Kiku blinked in confusion.  
"E-excuse me?" he asked, bewildered.  
The captain smirked, "That's very insensitive of you to forget me, Kiku. I'd have thought childhood buddies would account for more than enough recognition."  
Kiku gasped, "Arthur? Arthur Kirkrand?" The smirk told it all.  
"Glad you finally got it, old sport."  
Yuri felt her body go cold. This . . . this was Arthur Kirkland? No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. Arthur turned to her, grabbing her jaw like he did with Kiku. He looked over her coldly, calculating. A smile curled his lips; a cold smile that made Yuri's skin crawl.  
"You're half and half aren't you? Half Japanese, half English? I'm right, aren't I?"  
Yuri hesitated, then Arthur's grip tightened, "Yes." She hissed out in English. He let go of her face, tracing her features. Her nose, her cheekbones, her eyebrows, her lips . . . He was smearing blood over her already dirty face.  
"I know this face . . ." he whispered, "Where do I know this face from?" He untied Yuri's headband and let her bangs fall into her face. "Ahhh . . ." he said louder, "I know who you are." He grabbed a fitful of her hair, dragging her face towards him. "You're that whore's child, aren't you?" He dragged Yuri to her feet, pulling her face closer to his with his mouth right next to her ear. "I admit I never knew my father's bastard was a female. You should be seventeen now, right, little sister?" Yuri screamed in pain as he bit her ear, making it bleed.  
Arthur dropped her to the deck, dazing Yuri as her head hit the deck.  
"Men!" he announced, "We're keeping these two! Bring them onboard! Ah, but don't touch them anymore than you should. Even tied like this, the girl is quite dangerous."

They were tied to the chairs in the captain's quarters, with the man Alfred attending to them.  
"That was incredible. It had been a while since such a fight like that one. Your men were ferocious; we beat them by number only." He looked at them, as if expecting them to pick up conversation. Kiku said nothing, thus Yuri said nothing; though she thought along the lines of: _They are Japanese warriors, of course they're better then you savage westerners_. But she did not voice her thoughts and kept her face blank. Alfred sighed. "I just thought I'd let you know." He said, pouting like a kicked puppy. Yuri grit her teeth as he left. As he shut the door behind him, silence flooded the room.  
Yuri spoke, "Kiku-sama, forgive me. This is my fault. I wasn't skilled enough to-"  
"No, no, Yuri-chan, don't think like that." Kiku interrupted, "I should have been paying attention to my surroundings rather than watching you. Your fighting skills are like a beautiful dance. It was hypnotizing."  
Yuri choked on tears and laughter, "You are too kind Kiku-sama."  
They sat in silence again for quite a while before Arthur came into his cabin for them.  
"You weren't carrying a lot in cargo for sure, but we did get extra food and fresh water and that's always good." He said, looking at a list he presumably had made to inventory the items. He read it off as he sat behind the large carved wooden desk. "You had a few bales of silk, some jade, clothes, but other than that, nothing." He tossed the paper onto his desk. "But we do have a prince of Japan and the genius kunoichi of the Honda family. I'm sure your ransoms will be a lot." He smirked. Yuri let herself relax a fraction. If they were going to be bartered off, then they would have to be in working condition. Nothing too bad would happen to them. Well, Yuri's womanly parts would be well used, but Kiku would probably make it. Probably. "Kiku will stay with me. Whore's kid-"  
"Her name is Yuri." Kiku said. Arthur gave him a look, then backhanded him.  
"KIKU!" Yuri shrieked, struggling against her bonds. The bonds around Kiku kept him in the seat. Once she saw her master awake, she glared at Arthur and aimed all her anger at him. "YOU ASSHOLE-!" The same back hand hit her face with considerably more force, almost enough to tip the chair over. Arthur continued as if nothing had happened.  
"The whore's kid will stay with my second hand man, Alfred. There you'll have some semblance of safety." He sneered at her, "Aren't I a nice big brother? Alfred! Come and declaw the kitten please!"  
With that, he stalked out while Alfred came in.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Alfred went about collecting Yuri's weapons in a strictly professional way, patting her body and pulling out all the odds and ends he found. It included almost three pounds of kunai alone, smoke bombs, matches, razors, arrow tips, a small knife, several strangling cords, and abnormally thick acupuncture needles. Once Alfred had collected all the weapons on her body, he sat back at the pile and whistled his appreciation. He smiled that carefree smile at her, "Are all Japanese girls armed like you?" Yuri pursed her lips, unsure of whether or not to answer. As his face fell, she felt that she at least owed him a direct answer to a direct question. It was only good manners after all.  
"No." she said tersely, her gaze going to back to Kiku who was working his jaw as it rapidly darkened into a bruise. She felt her own face ache, but ignored the pain as she usually did. Alfred followed her gaze.  
"So . . . who is he to you?" he asked, encouraged by her monosyllable answer.  
Alfred noticed a softening in her eyes as she answered, "A friend." Kiku looked over at her and they shared a small smile. It made Alfred's heart squeeze at such an intimate look; like he was invading something private and sacred. Truth be told, it kinda pissed him off. Abruptly, he cut Yuri's bonds, intending to take off her armor as well, but she went to Kiku before he could react with a kunai somehow in her hand. A swift slash and his bonds were cut. Yuri completely disregarded the kunai, letting it fall from her hands as she caught Kiku in her arms. She spoke in Japanese, touching his face lightly and his head, body, and shoulders as if checking for injuries. He spoke back, doing the same. Alfred looked away, blushing. Weren't the Japanese supposed to hate physical contact? He blinked, remembering his duty and stood to grab her back.  
"Forgive me." Yuri said, right in front of him. She was untying her arm guards and letting them drop, doing likewise to her chest shield and shin guards. Once she had taken off her armor, she looked at him steadily. "I had to make sure he was hale."  
"Ah, um, that's fine. But, uh, don't do that again." Alfred said sternly, trying to salvage the situation.  
"I will not." She said with her eyes bright with determination. "As long as Kiku-sama remains safe."  
"Er . . . okay, just, wait there while I gather this." Pulling a chest from the multitude of the ones stacked in the room, Alfred quickly shoveled in her possessions, pausing at the tiny sword she had used to skillfully. That one he sheathed and tied onto his belt, ignoring their stares. He slammed the chest closed and locked it. "Come on, Yuri, was it?" The girl nodded. "Follow me." He said, and she did so obediently. _She does kind of look like Arthur_. Alfred thought, walking out of the cabin. _The personalities though . . ._

Arthur heard the sound of his cabin door opening and watched while Alfred led the whore's child out. She was an plain thing. Raven black hair cut choppily like a boy's but growing longer, with those straight staring obsidian eyes like the whore's. Her facial features lent more to her Asian heritage, but the curve of her lips, the sharpness of her cheekbones and especially the thickness of her eyebrows echoed the Kirkland family line. She was definitely his father's bastard child. It was the birth of that minx that the Kirkland family fell out as the Queen's dignitary and became less respected in the Japanese court. Before her, Kiku and Arthur had been good friends, being close in age, and they would play together as their parents and advisors spoke to each other. But once his father's shame was revealed, they wouldn't let the prince of Japan get near the filthy child of one who had fathered a bastard. _As if those hypocrites hadn't fathered bastards themselves_ . . . But to add salt to the wound, it turned out that the whore was a far removed member of the Honda family, who were famous for producing excellent ninjas. When the whore died, the prestigious family took the girl in, adopting her as one of their own and let that bastard near Kiku, even though Arthur, born of good standing and innocent of everything, had to sit back and watch as they grew closer. He had finally had enough, and at fifteen he sailed back to England. Except he didn't make it, being boarded by pirates and taken into their lifestyle.  
"Captain? Are you listening?" A timid boy named Matthew asked. He was the ship's log keeper.  
"No, I wasn't. Please repeat what you said." Matthew nodded and repeated what he had just said. This time Arthur paid attention. He nodded at the end.  
"That's good. Alright, you're dismissed; make sure to get this all down." Arthur said.  
"Yes, captain!" Matthew ran off. Arthur turned around, only to nearly bump into the larger American man behind him.  
"Hey, captain, would it be okay for me to get the girl a change of clothes? She's horribly dirty and covered in blood." Alfred jerked his thumb at the whore's child. Her cream and amber maple leaf patterned kimono was bloodstained and ripped. Arthur internally cringed. That was probably silk. It could've fetched a good price.  
"No, give her your clothes." Arthur said, walking away.  
"Aww come on captain, just one dress thing?" Alfred begged.  
"Why do you care?" Arthur said irritably, looking at Alfred over his shoulder.  
Alfred wiggled his eyebrows. Arthur let out a bark of a laugh. "Go ahead. One kimono, got it?"  
"Aye-aye captain!" Alfred saluted him as he passed by him to get to his cabin. "Get over here, Yuri!" As the small Japanese girl jogged by Arthur, she whispered something in Japanese. Arthur whipped around, but saw only her focused, blank gaze and she reached Alfred. The idiot was smiling happily as he chatted. Arthur scowled and spat onto the deck in disgust.  
As she jogged by, he thought he heard, "_Arigato, nii-chan_."

Far away, in a tavern on the Mediterranean, a certain Spanish captain by the name Antonio Fernandez Carriedo sipped vintage Italian wine, a buxom Hungarian woman on his lap. Elizabeta was playing the part of a promiscuous woman, whispering things in his ear suggestively. Or so it looked. Elizabeta, for all intents and purposes, ruled the underground world of secrets and smugglers. Antonio had recently asked for information, and here she was delivering. While Elizabeta spoke, Antonio drank, laughed when she told him to, and slid his hands over her lush body. Once he strayed too far and got a harsh pinch for it; he remained closer to her waist from the time on. She finished her report, pulling away to drink from his glass. Antonio kept a smile fixed on his face while he processed what she said. Pirates not being seen for a year were unusual; a pirate such as Captain Arthur Kirkland not being seen for a year was not only unusual, but extremely suspicious. It was too much to hope for that the English dog had died. No, Antonio thought, that cur is planning something. Something nasty. Taking another sip of the Italian wine, he looked over Elizabeta's thin cotton dress, clinging to her in the most seductive was because of the humidity. His hand snaked down again, earning him another pinch. Elizabeta slid off of him quickly.  
"It is time for me to leave, Antonio." She said, leaning over to speak close to his ear. He peeked down her shirt, taking another sip of wine to hide his smile.  
"I'll be seeing you again soon, Elizabeta." He said smiling and she smiled in return.  
"You won't get a discount next time, old friend." She warned him, sauntering off into the crowd. He made eye contact with one of his crew, flicking his fingers to indicate following Elizabeta. She was a strong woman, but ten against one wasn't good odds, even for her.  
"What now Captain?" a surly voice asked. Antonio looked to see his dear Lovino sit down. Lovino's eyes wouldn't meet Antonio's and the cheerful Spaniard knew exactly why, though he would ignore it awhile; he just loved how jealous his Italian lover got. Antonio knocked back the rest of his wine and Lovino poured another glass, taking a swig from the bottle after.  
"We wait, my dear Lovino. We wait for word to reach us." He smiled at the boy, "I know a way to keep occupied if you want." He said with a suggestive smirk.


	4. Chapter 4

Kiku sat, dazed. After all these long years, he had met Arthur Kirkland again. When his caretakers had told him that he couldn't play with the little English boy, he was confused. Why not? Why couldn't he? Arthur had a great imagination. His games were fun. But he wasn't allowed to. Instead, they brought this years younger girl to play with instead. She was only three. He complained for quite a while, but it soon became apparent that he wasn't going to be able to play with Arthur again. The girl didn't talk and obediently did whatever he told her to. She was boring. Kiku was ten, and at that age he didn't want to look at a girl much less spend all his time with one. Eventually though, he got sick of the other children, always jostling him for different honors, different favors, not seeing Kiku for himself. When Arthur left with not one goodbye, Kiku cried quietly by himself. When some children came seeking him, the little girl Yuri came to his rescue telling them that he walked out the other way; she said nothing to him, just drew off people when they came. His tears stopped, and respect grew for this hardy 8 year old. They got close after that, despite their lessons and training. The door banged open and Kiku jumped, startled out of his reverie. Arthur stepped to the desk, leaning against the front of it.  
"Who cut you loose?" he asked, his thick eyebrows drawing in with confusion.  
"That man, Alfred." Kiku struggled to pronounce his name correctly. Arthur nodded, obviously sensing a lie, but excusing it. "Why have you brought me here? What do you plan to do with us?" Arthur rubbed his chin, though it was free of stubble.  
"I thought we went over this. I'm going to ransom you. If they don't pay up, well, you'll die."  
"They won't let you do this." Kiku said, "You'll be caught and put to death." Arthur laughed, picking up a leather ball shaped like the world, it was filled with sand to give it shape.  
"They can try." He said, utterly unafraid. "Ah, but caught between them and that whore's kid, it might be difficult. She was better than I had expected. Ten of my men . . . that'll be hard to replace. Maybe I should just kill her now." Kiku shot to his feet.  
"You kill her and I'll bit off my tongue." He said passionately. Arthur nearly dropped his small globe. When had Kiku been this emotional about anything? The boy he remembered always went along with others, influencing quietly but sternly. He had the coolest head of anyone Arthur knew. But the whore's child could get such a reaction from him . . . He squeezed the leather globe, feeling the sand shift between his fingers. "In fact, I demand to see her every day to make sure she is fine. Otherwise I'll kill myself anyways." Arthur blinked. Then he chuckled.  
"Oh, you are a politician aren't you? A rather self-sacrificing one though. What makes this girl," Arthur grit his teeth before spitting out her name, "Yuri, so special?"  
"She's important to me." Kiku said simply, sitting back down. Arthur was stunned.  
"You can't mean . . ." he said, "You can't mean that you love her?!"  
Kiku nodded, "I do love her, thought maybe not in the way you are thinking. The love is . . . hmm, platonic. Like that of very close friends." Kiku played with his fingers, weaving them together then letting go and weaving them together again. Arthur watched, fascinated. Had Kiku's fingers always been so long and white? They were very graceful. He looked down at his own hand. It was rough and calloused, completely different than his old friend's. Suddenly, the gap between them seemed so much larger.  
Arthur was a pirate.  
Kiku was a nobleman.  
While Arthur was killing, stealing and whoring, Kiku had been practicing writing and speech and politics. They're paths were so different. A memory rose, the day Arthur decided to leave Japan. He had decided to write a letter to Kiku. What the contents were, he couldn't remember, but the last line was stark in his memory.  
'_Though we are apart, we look up at the same stars_.'  
Hadn't he got that from a poem somewhere? He didn't know.  
"Same stars, huh . . ." He muttered, his hand clenching. He looked up at Kiku, whom he found looking at him with deep brown eyes that went flat when they met Arthur's green ones. "You'll be staying in my cabin. My cabin boy, Tino, will look after you." He said abruptly. "First things first, you get a change of clothes." He straightened and stalked over to the door. "TINO!" he hollered. The small man trotted up, breaking off with his conversation with the large Swede Berwald. Each time Arthur saw Berwald, he sent up a prayer to whoever, thanking them for the skilled Swede. He could work wood and fight well. He was a gift from the gods, even if he had a habit of calling Tino his 'wife' more often than comfortable.  
"See to Kiku's needs. Get him whatever he needs, including a change of clothes and a meal." Arthur told Tino when he came up. Tino nodded and jogged away again, to grab clothes from the general store and food from the cook, an Italian called Feliciano. Then he stalked to the kitchen, muttering about rum. He needed a drink after all of this.

Alfred lead Yuri to the doctor's quarters, inhabited by a Norwegian man called Lukas. The man made her strip and then clean herself while he sterilized and bandaged her wounds.  
"This is very surprising." He told them, as she rebound her breasts with a separate piece of cloth. "You have very little wounds, most were just skin deep. That blood wasn't even yours." Yuri nodded, slipping on a dark blue kimono, just a short as her old one, coming just above her knees. This one was patterned with her namesake: lilies. She tied her sash as she spoke, wrapping it twice around her and fighting to secure it in the back with a bow. Lukas helped her with it.  
"I am Honda Yuri, of the famed ninja clan. I am their best kunoichi. To protect Kiku-sama, I had to be their best. Ten enemies are no problem."  
"It's the eleventh soldier that gets you." Lukas said dryly. Alfred had to chuckle at that. The girl shrugged, pulling on her strange ankle socks and tied her straw sandals on.  
"Leather would probably work better." Alfred suggested. The girl shrugged again, pulling at the long sleeves of her kimono. Lukas came up behind her with a strip of white sheet, and tied her sleeves back with a complicated move that Alfred couldn't follow. When he finished, Yuri turned to face him and bowed deeply.  
"Thank you very much." She said in English. Lukas nodded, and motioned with his hands, shooing them away. Alfred tugged her down a hallway and turned left, leading her down to the last door in the set of three of them.  
"This is my cabin. I get my own since I'm second in command. You'll be bunking with me." He gave her a moment to look over the small cabin with its one bed and two large chests. "Now you can either take the floor, or sleep in the bed with me." She looked at him and Alfred put his hands up innocently. "I won't do anything naughty, it just gets cold sometimes." She gave a sharp nod. "Great. Now after a raid, we normally speed away then take it easy for the next few hours, so I'm going to sleep for a bit and you . . . just don't do anything loud, okay? And no escaping." Alfred nudged her inside, closing the door behind him and locking it before stripping for bed. He looked over his shoulder as he pulled on a special pair of breeches called 'nightwear'. Yuri was tucked in a corner, with her arms around her legs and her head leaning against the wall. With a chuckle he went over to inspect her. She was pretty, but she gave off a frosty appurtenance while awake. Asleep like this, she was much more innocent and soft. Alfred bit his lip, hesitating. Padding over to a chest, he opened it and grabbed a blanket. Placing it over her, he carefully backed away into his bed. Then he lay down and wrapped himself in blankets before falling asleep. "Good night, Yuri." He muttered, before the darkness claimed him.


	5. Chapter 5

Alfred woke with a start. Sweat drenched his body and sheets, and his breath came in pants. The lip of a bottle touched his lips and Alfred drank down the water, warm as it was. A cloth padded the sweat off of his neck and face.  
"Water." He croaked, and the bottle was pressed to his lips again. After drinking the last drop he growled and tried to throw it. A hand grabbed his wrist, wresting the bottle from his hands.  
"Please do not Alfred-san." Yuri's voice broke through the half-asleep haze and he blinked up at her with shock. A cloth continued to wipe him down. That was Yuri as well.  
"Yuri?" he asked, "Wh-what are you-"  
"I'm sorry for your loss. My own mother died in sickness." She said. Alfred paled. He didn't know he still cried out when he dreamed of his village being slaughtered. "I have a change of clothes ready for you, and a towel." He gave her a strange look, taking the towel and swinging his legs over the edge.  
"How'd you get a towel? I thought I locked the door . . ." Yuri merely smiled at him, grabbing the cloth she used to wipe away sweat and the empty container of water.  
"Do you need me to get Lukas-sensei?" she asked, taking a step towards the door. Alfred waved his hand, dismissing the idea.  
"No need. Just let me get dressed and we can go up." Alfred said, drying himself off. He had just finished tying his sash when someone knocked on their door. As the door opened smoothly, without the creak it normally had, Alfred shot Yuri a look and she seemed to find surprising interest in the ceiling above. Looking at the person at the door, he asked, "Yes?" It was Tino, the captain's boy.  
"Um . . . the girl is to come with me. Kiku requested her presence." He said, his violet eyes not meeting Alfred's blue. Alfred sighed, and gestured to Yuri, pleased when she came to stand beside him.  
"Go with Tino. Come back tonight to sleep if you aren't assigned sleeping quarters." He told them, locking the door to his cabin before going topside.

Tino watched as the first mate went down the hall, turning left to get to the deck. He turned to look at the girl. Her dark eyes, like obsidian, watched him quietly. Tino gulped. Though she had to be younger than him and not nearly so much experience as a pirate, Tino had no doubt this girl had seen some awful things. Her eyes said as much.  
"I'm Tino." He said, smiling at her. "You are Yuri, right?" The girl tilted her head to consider him then nodded. Tino cleared his throat. "Alright, well, come with me." Tino set off, with Yuri at his heels. She followed him like an obedient puppy all the way to the captain's quarters. When they got there, Tino knocked politely, waiting for the door to open. Captain Kirkland himself did the honors of opening the door, scowling at the sight of them.  
"Thanks Tino, now go get me breakfast." He told the smaller man. As Tino trotted off, Arthur didn't even look at Yuri as he jerked his thumb behind him. Yuri slid past him, like oil on water, and quietly padded to Kiku's side. He was awake, with a new kimono on. It was dark blue, like hers, and stripped with white. His sash was a plain black, wrapped several times around his waist. Yuri looked at the bruise on his cheek; her fingers tracing it though she didn't touch it. They traded small words in Japanese as Yuri systematically checked his body for any signs of damage during the time she didn't see him. Nothing seemed amiss. Arthur grit his teeth, watching the whore's child touch Kiku in such a close manner. And what was worse was that Kiku didn't seem to mind. He had to know she was a bastard child; and he let that filth touch him as if- as if they were lovers or something! But that was crazy. A prince of Japan would never risk having his reputation tarnished as such. In fact, the only reason rumors weren't spreading wildly around about their companionship was due to the good name of the Honda family. And it wasn't a good idea to bash a ninja family. It just wasn't done.  
"Are you done?" he asked brusquely, glaring.  
Yuri glared back, "I wouldn't have to check him if you hadn't hit him, Kirkland."  
"I don't like that tone of yours." Arthur said, his grip on his weapon tightening.  
"Please don't fight." Kiku begged, grabbing Yuri's wrist as she moved to step towards Arthur. Yuri glanced back, searching Kiku's eyes. Arthur saw her proverbial hackles lower. The air was tense with the loom of battle. A knock sounded on the door, dispelling the stifling atmosphere. Arthur hollered for Tino to enter and the small man did, bearing a plate of food. He set it on Arthur's large desk and turned to leave.  
"Tino," Arthur said at the last moment, "Take the girl with you . . . to help you with your chores and such. Kiku and I have to write a letter." Tino nodded and began to leave before noticing that Yuri had not moved. Tino touched her arm, only to be shrugged off.  
"Why can't I stay with Kiku-sama?" Yuri asked, stepping forward.  
"Tino, get her out of here." Arthur said, taking a small bite of his eggs.  
"I must stay with Kiku-sama." Yuri said, taking another step forward.  
"Get her out of here Tino, before I do something I regret."  
"Yuri, please go. For now. I'll see you later, okay?" Kiku said, interrupting. Yuri looked at him, shocked. For a moment, she couldn't decide whether to follow his order or to protect him as she knew how. Eventually, his direct order won out.  
"Yes Kiku-sama." Yuri bowed and turned, leaving with Tino.

Night had fallen quickly; the ship busy for its docking tomorrow evening when they would pull into Shanghai. The crew was excited while the Japanese passengers were not. Yuri had followed Tino around the ship all day long, helping him with little things like fetching water and rum and carrying things from here to there. She got a lot of glares from the tall man called Berwald and was very confused by his aggression until Tino explained that Berwald sometimes helped him with such tasks. While Yuri baked under the sun, Kiku was shut in the captain's cabin with Arthur to write a ransom for himself and Yuri. Kiku wrote a letter both in Japanese and English, detailing only who they had, the price Arthur wanted for both of them and where the exchange was to take place, if at all. And if they didn't . . . well, it wasn't too hard to guess what would happen. Arthur gave the government two months to think on it, adding time for the message to be delivered. When Kiku finished the letter in English, Arthur read it over, making harsh criticisms in the use of words and the spelling. Hungry and tired, Kiku snapped where he normally would have kept his calm.  
"Well, if there's so many problems in it, how about you write it?" he snapped, running his fingers through his hair. Arthur was silent, a strange look on his face. "What?" Kiku asked, mad at himself for not having composure.  
"Nothing." Arthur said, a smile cracking his lips, "I just didn't think you could get mad. It caught me by surprise is all." The blond pirate said, sliding into his chair from behind his desk. Pulling out a fountain pen, he set to rewriting the letter in proper English.  
"Captain Arthur?" Tino shouted through the door. "We have dinner for you and Kiku."  
"Finally." The captain said, opening the door. He smiled seeing Tino and the food, though it quickly turned sour when he saw Yuri with Kiku's food. It was standard fare for a captain and guest aboard a ship: succulent meat and greens with a bottle of fine red wine and sake. Tino and Yuri marched in, setting the food down. The door hung open, letting in fresh sea air into the stuffy cabin. The noise of the men also wafted in, though it was dying down as night approached. Tino set down the cups for the drinks and Yuri placed them on the desk.  
"Captain!" The voice came from Alfred, as the man dashed into the cabin. "Land has been sighted!" The man's blue eyes shone brightly. "Looks like that wind today carried us farther than we thought!" With the already smiling face of Alfred, Tino laughed as well, with Arthur giving a stiff curl of his lips that barely passed for a smile.  
Yuri and Kiku looked sick.


	6. Chapter 6

Shanghai was bright. The colors and the people shined and glittered. Being a port town, it had quite the traffic of people and products. Even confined to the ship, Kiku was amazed. He had been raised in the palace, away from crowds and had rarely seen so many people in one place.  
"It's amazing . . ." he whispered, his eyes drawn to the lanterns and the people. "I've never seen anything like it."  
"You can't be serious." Alfred, charged with guarding the ship, sat beside Kiku and sharped his knife.  
"It's true." The Japanese prince admitted, "I've only ever been to festivals and such, things where everything was planned out; nothing like this . . . chaos."  
Alfred kicked down his boots from the table they rested on and leaned in, looking at Kiku in curiosity.  
"Not even to the famous red-light district of Japan?" he asked, a half-smile on his face.  
Kiku blushed, "Once." He admitted with a distant look in his eyes. "But I had no time to look around."  
Tino came up behind them, with a basket full of fruit. "Would you like some?" the Finnish man asked. "Berwald just came back to drop this off for us." Alfred took an apple.  
"I doubt it was for 'us', Tino." He said slyly.  
Kiku was confused and said so, making Alfred laugh and Tino stammer incoherently.  
"Anyways!" the violet-eyed man said, drawing the conversation to a safer topic, "Where is Yuri?"  
Alfred took a bite of apple, "Arthur took her with him, for protection or something." The American took another bite of apple, while Tino and Kiku shared grapes.  
"But why? Isn't she a prisoner? No offense intended, Kiku!"  
Kiku smiled, "We are prisoners, Tino, it is fine to refer to us as such. As to why Yuri is with him . . . well, she is the best in the Honda family. Her skills are many and her weaknesses are few. Also, she knows the language better than Arthur does. She could help as a translator."  
"I don't know . . ." Alfred said, "We do a lot of business in Shanghai."  
"Really?" Kiku asked politely.  
"Yeah! The head there, Yao Wang, is – whoa! Are you alright?" Kiku had choked on the grape he had been eating.  
"Did you say Yao Wang?" he asked Alfred, taking a sip of the water Tino had brought.  
"Er . . . yeah?" Kiku paled at the American's words.  
"Oh no . . . did anyone tell Yuri this?"  
"Kiku, what's with the panic over Yao Wang?" Dark eyes met the blue eyes of the American.  
"Yao Wang was Yuri's first target for assassination, and the only one to get away." He explained. There was a silence for a moment. Then:  
"Oh no."

Yao Wang waited in the cold warehouse for the British pirate to deliver goods and then to pick up the opium. The longer it stayed in Shanghai, the more antsy Yao became; even though he ruled the city, none were forgiven for carrying opium. It would drag his entire business to the ground. His hand wandered up to the curve of his jaw and a finger slid down his neck, tracing the scar of the injury that had almost killed him. The scar stopped right by his Adam's apple, and from there Yao rubbed his neck, sheathed in stiff red silk. He was dressed nicer today, with golden dragons curling around his shirt and his black pants as new as the day he bought them. He didn't wear anything other than that; he couldn't risk being sighted. Yao did acquiesce to bringing Jiri though, the deadly attractive Chinese woman leaning against the arm of his chair. And deadly was not a loosely used term either. Jiri had been trained by the best, equal to any member of the Honda family. Yao's lips pulled down in a frown, tracing his scar again. After that day so many years ago, he still had yet to kill the lowly Japanese bitch that had done this to him. His intelligence systems had told him that she had been kept to the palace to be a babysitter to the Japanese prince. _And probably a whore to him as well._ Yao thought, absently petting Jiri's hair. He thought of her face, one he had caught a good glimpse of. Anger quickly enveloped him. A man snuck in from a side door, running right up to Yao.  
"They've come. They number 8 and don't carry any visible weapons." He reported.  
Yao flicked his hand to dismiss the man and sat up straighter in his out-of-place, but elegant throne.  
It was time for the show to begin.

Yuri took in the warehouse in a moment, noting the number of people and who was the head. It came as a great shock when she recognized the leader. For half a second she hoped that he wouldn't recognize her, that the deal would be smooth as black ice and be done with.  
That was not to be so.  
Yuri had just enough time to tackle Arthur to the ground when a gunshot rang off. She looked up again, seeing Yao himself standing with a smoking barrel pointing at them.  
"You bitch!" he shrieked, "Jiri!" The woman at his side stood and Yuri recognized the fight she carried in her. Arthur, meanwhile, was still struggling underneath her.  
"What the bloody hell is going on, whore?!" he asked, gunshots going off from the Chinese mafia side as the pirates huddled behind large crates. Yuri pulled two kunai from her shirt. "Where'd you get those?!"  
Yuri couldn't help but smirk at the blond man, wondering how in the world he expected her **not** to get her weapons back. "I was sent to assassinate Yao Wang." She told him, "As you can see, I failed." She peeked past the boxes, throwing herself back when a bullet clipped the side. Lying in his lap, she looked up at him cutely. "Do you think he wants revenge?" Arthur let out a roar of anger and shoved her out of his lap, pulling his own gun from the inside of his jacket.  
"Why do things always go wrong when you're around?" he asked rhetorically. Yuri giggled.  
"I dunno." Confused, Arthur shot a glance back at her. Her change in attitude was weird-  
"Are you drinking?" Arthur stared in amazement.  
"Yes." Yuri hiccupped, "And I can tell you now it is most definitely NOT water."  
"Why are you drinking?" Arthur was strangely calm during the fire fight; his men had recovered.  
Yuri shrugged, tucking a handkerchief that Arthur recognized as his own into the small bottle of alcohol.  
"Someone gave it to me." She explained, "So I took it. Hold." She pushed the bottled into Arthur's hand and sprinkled gunpowder on the floor.  
"What are you doing?" Arthur asked again, truly curious now.  
"Some'in I learned in Europe." She mumbled, grabbing a large piece of splintered wood, "Give." Arthur handed the bottle back. Quickly, she drew the wood across the gunpowder, hard, and it ignited both the hard stone floor and the piece of wood. Yuri had leapt back, bringing the wood to the handkerchief in a moment. Then she threw the contraption. Her freed hand grabbed Arthur's. "Run!" she shouted, dragging him out of the warehouse. He had no time to check his men. Yuri tugged Arthur down different alleyways and streets of Shanghai, moving remarkably well for someone so amazed by the sights earlier in the day. She dragged him down one alley, stopping at an inconspicuous door and knocking in a pattern. It opened. The man that answered spoke rapid Chinese to Yuri, a conversation she kept up with though Arthur didn't understand a word. He felt quite disappointed in this: he considered himself well educated in Chinese. The man finally handed her a package and some papers and shut the door. Yuri yanked her top down, exposing the smooth curve of breasts and pulled the slit of her kimono open, showing leg almost to an inappropriate spot. She yanked open the package and donned a long, curling wig. Arranged as so and Arthur, though grudgingly, could admit she was attractive. Her arm guards went into the package instead, along with the papers. Yuri slapped her cheeks to get them red and bit her lips to make them puffy and pink. She clutched the package with one arm and latched onto Arthur's side with the other. Arthur managed not to throw her off and to control his blush as he felt her chest pressed into his arm.  
"We need to get to ship." She murmured, her eyes downcast and demure. A sudden fire filled him, quelled by confusion. This didn't look like Yuri at all; she looked like a professional in the business.  
"How in the holy hells did you do that?" he gasped, being pulled along by the stranger. She smiled at him mysteriously.  
"Kunoichi have their ways."


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur was amazed at the change Yuri went through. From steely ninja, to drunken pyromaniac, to flirtatious prostitute . . . it was hard to believe. She dragged Arthur here and there, looking at all the stalls with pretty shiny girly things, holding up silk against her body and putting doodads in her hair. With smoky glances and suggestive movements, Arthur had no doubt that she made several booth keepers excited. Arthur, however, was still swamped in confusion, although he did his best to disguise that and go along with Yuri's act. As they stopped at yet another booth, with Yuri holding elaborate silver pins to her hair, a thought occurred to him.  
"What were the papers her gave you?" he asked, in English. Yuri looked at him from the mirror that hung on the poles, fixing her hair in a simple style.  
"I am Japanese, in China. They are immigration papers in case anyone asks." She said simply. Arthur tossed some coins to the vendor and Yuri kept the hair bobble. Slowly but surely, the two made it to the docks and to their ship. The pirates let their captain board the ship, where he immediately shouted for them to set out. They were leaving. Arthur cast a glance around, and saw that all his men managed to make it back to the ship safely. From across the deck, Arthur saw Alfred, Kiku and Tino running over.  
"You're safe!" Kiku said, throwing his arms around both Arthur and Yuri, hugging them close.  
"You brought a prostitute aboard?" Alfred asked, shocked, "But-wait, is that-?"  
Tino completed the thought, "It's Yuri!" The Japanese girl had slipped out of Kiku's hold, leaving her prince with one arm around Arthur's neck. Kiku was close enough that Arthur could feel his body heat. Then Arthur noticed how thin the man was, and he frowned.  
"Correct." She said, straightening her kimono and yanking off the wig. "We must leave now. Kiku-sama, it was Yao Wang. And a woman named Jiri." Yuri frowned, "She reminded me . . . of myself, before." Although Arthur didn't understand what Yuri meant, the fear on Kiku's face was enough to convince him that the sooner they left the better.

"We missed them." Jiri said, needlessly, as Yao and his gang watched the Englishman's vessel drift out to sea. Yao grit his teeth; he couldn't even chase them down, or else he'd alert the Chinese government. They had been keeping too close an eye on him lately. Yao cursed.  
"We have no choice now." He said, "We'll have to use some _special_ connections." Jiri looked at him sideways, a single eyebrow raised. He glared back and she pressed her face smoothed, her eyes going dull and unfocused.  
"Yes sir." She said, "Your whim-I mean, your wish is my command." Yao shot her a scathing look she ignored. Jiri turned on her heel and slipped into the crowd and quickly disappeared. Not for the first time did Yao feel the compulsion to smack some manners into the young woman. With a sigh, he rubbed his forehead. Maybe he was getting too old for this kind of thing. He should just take his money and retire somewhere deep in the countryside where he spent his childhood. With a quirk of his lips, he let the fantasy disappear; for that was what is was: a fantasy, nothing more. He straightened clothes and expression and turned away from the docks, heading towards his headquarters.  
He had to be ready for the next show soon after all.

Captain Antonio Fernandez Carriedo glared at the map in front of him, his helmsman in front of him. Brow furrowed in concentration, his bright green eyes scanned the map while he mental calculated the risks both water ways posed. With a sigh, he made his decision.  
"We'll use the Suez Canal." He said, and the helmsman nodded. "The Straight of Garibaldi would force us to go around the tip of the Cape." He sat back, "We'll take our chances with the British."  
"As you say sir." The helmsman said, gathering up the maps and folding them carefully. He left as the cabin boy, Lovino, came in.  
"Finally made a decision?" the feisty Italian said, coming to sit on the arm of the Spaniard's chair. Antonio nodded, wrapping an arm around Lovino and pulling the boy into his lap.  
"With the information Elizaveta gave us, it seemed wiser." Antonio explained, nuzzling his face into Lovino's neck. "You smell good."  
"Maybe because I finally bathed? Land is good for some things, you know." Lovino said, leaning back into Antonio's chest.  
"Yes, I know." Antonio said, "Thank you for leaving there and coming with me to sea." He said, smiling down at the Italian. Lovino blushed.  
"It was nothing." He mumbled, laying his ear next to Antonio's heart. They sat there for a while, just cuddling and basking in each other's presence. With deliberate slowness, Antonio leaned down and kissed Lovino on the lips, being heartbreakingly delicate and gentle. Lovino groaned, pulling back a bit.  
"Kiss me like you mean it, idiota!" he said roughly, his lips brushing Antonio's own as he spoke.  
"With pleasure." Antonio said, his tongue flickering out to brush Lovino's bottom lip. Then Antonio began kissing Lovino with energy, using all the tricks he knew to elicit moans of pleasure from his partner. He pulled away to take in Lovino's flushed face, feeling heat flood his loins and Lovino's weight that kept his erection down. Lovino leaned in, tugging Antonio's earlobe with his teeth.  
"Take me." He whispered huskily and that's exactly what Antonio did.

The click of heels on wood was steady and harsh in the quiet of the house. For all intents and purposes the house appeared empty; abandoned even, if you didn't take a close look at how clean it was. Elizaveta didn't bother to hide her presence at all, sauntering into the house like she owned it (which she did). Quiet as a ghost, a slight boy appeared at her side. He was a fair Italian, with caramel colored hair and eyes of amber. With the boy's appearance, some invisible switch was flipped and the house came to life with noise and light.  
"Did anything out of the ordinary happen while I was gone, Feliciano?" Elizaveta asked, striding through the halls as servants parted before her, greeting as she passed.  
"Nothing, my lady. The day's reports are still being compiled; they'll be done within the hour." Feli said, his back straight and his hands locked behind his back. "My lady, about-"  
"Very good." Elizaveta interrupted, "Have some dinner sent into my office. I'll wait there for the report." Feli licked his lips, "As you wish, my lady." He said, making a respectful bow even if she couldn't see him. As he turned to leave, Elizaveta spoke. "Your bother is doing well on the Spaniard's ship. He looks healthy." The woman didn't once look behind as she spoke aloud, and thus didn't see the relieved look on Feli's face with the news of his brother. He deepened his bow.  
"I'm glad to hear it, my lady." He said.  
"Make it some ale and roast for dinner, you hear boy? Ale and roast!"

**A/N: I've had the worst writer's block with this one. Hopefully it's not too horrible. Something exciting will happen next time, I promise.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

It was the beginning of the third week at sea when Arthur finally got rid of the cargo taken from Kiku's ship. It was a small port town closer to India than Arthur had wanted but he was running out of options by then. Yuri and Kiku had taken back their traditional kimono wear, something Arthur found he didn't mind. The kimonos looked better on the native Japanese than on his crew, anyways.  
The third week was also about the time Arthur realized his feelings for Kiku.  
He hadn't been in love for so long, it took him a bit to recognize the feeling, but when he did it hit him like a gunshot to the chest.  
He thought it was just being watchful of his prisoner at first. Kiku was to be near him 24/7, Kiku wasn't allowed near the crew without Arthur watching, Kiku had to tell him whenever he left the cabin. . . Arthur watched him do everything with emerald colored hawk eyes, noting the paleness of Kiku's skin, how it was like porcelain without mar or wrinkle. The way his dark eyes darted over the books Arthur had and the way his long thin fingers turned the pages like they were sheets of gold; his neck was long and elegant, his hair like liquid midnight and the small smiles he let slip when he came across an amusing part of the story were like a blessing from the heavens. Arthur would often invite Kiku to read aloud, only to hear his voice. Arthur realized he loved Kiku when Yuri came in to check on him. Their small, flitting touches never really bothered him before. They would speak in Japanese, too rapid for Arthur to follow after such a long time, and would brush each other. Arms, torso, neck, head, face . . . gentle and heartbreaking caressing, that showed a bond Arthur could never touch. As always, his first mate, Alfred, followed behind. As soon as Yuri learned all she could about the ship, she stopped being the puppy that followed Alfred without a leash. The positions reversed instead, and sometimes Arthur was left wondering who his first mate was really. Yuri had become such a familiar sight that he couldn't muster enough energy to hate her on sight. But that day, as Kiku rested his hand on her waist with the other cupping her cheek, rage boiled up in Arthur's veins and the heavy chair clattered back as he stood. Startled, the three looked at him, and Yuri stiffened immediately. Almost unconsciously, she stepped in front of Kiku, acting as a human shield. At that Arthur froze, wondering why he had gotten so possessive and angry.  
Then it hit him.  
"Tino-" he croaked, then cleared his throat and shouted, "TINO GET ME WATER. NOW!" The sound of footsteps faded outside Arthur's door and her glared at the people assembled. "All of you leave. Yes, you too Kiku, get fresh air or something." As they shuffled out, with many confused glances, Arthur collapsed back into his chair. Tino came with a jug of water and left after a glare from Arthur. Alone at last, he wrinkled his nose at the water and fetched the brandy he had been saving for a special occasion. With only a moment's hesitation, he ripped off the red wax seal and took a big swallow. He stumbled back onto his cot, and took another gulp.  
"This is just bloody great." He muttered, "I'm a bloody fool, a bloody fool!" He tilted the bottle all the way back, nearly a quarter of the high-end brandy gone and a veil of drunkenness covering his eyes.  
"Falling in love with a prisoner . . . That doesn't happen in real life."  
Another sip.  
"Damn it all."

It was near midnight when Kiku finally crept back to the cabin he shared with Captain Kirkland. He had spent the rest of the day with Yuri, playing old children's games with her like they hadn't done in years. They had a competition of tongue twisters, something Yuri was horrible at despite being fluent in several other languages. At first, Kiku thought she was just pretending to be bad, but faced with English tongue twisters that Alfred iterated, she failed just as miserably. He and Alfred had quite the time teasing her about it, but they stopped when she punched the mast and left an imprint of her fist in it. Kiku was surprised that Yuri had earned respect from the crew and knew their names. Apparently, stories about her had spread from the time in Shanghai. Although Kiku sincerely doubted that there was a real dragon fighting with the Chinese, most of the stories matched with what Kiku knew Yuri was capable of. So he came back to the cabin with a grin on his face, thinking about the stories that had been traded. Then the smell registered.  
"_Kami . . ._" he hissed, "_Nioi yo_." Then he saw Arthur, fast asleep on the pallet Kiku normally used. The Brit had his face buried in the pillows and blankets, all bundled up like a silk worm in a cocoon. His face held a healthy blush and judging from the bottle beside him, he had been drinking. With a sigh, Kiku crouched by his childhood friend turned captor. With Arthur unconscious on his bed, Kiku wondered how he would sleep. Maybe wake Arthur up and make him go to his bed? Kiku shook his shoulder, gently at first, but harder when the man wouldn't wake. Instead, Arthur just rolled out of the blankets, squishing them under his body. The captain was naked except for a pair of atrocious Union Jack underwear he wore for bed. Kiku tried not to stare at Arthur's toned chest.  
"Kiku . . ." Arthur breathed and the Japanese man froze, wondering if he woke or not.  
"Arthur?" he asked softly, "Are you awake?"  
The blond muttered, his brow crinkling, and his hand reached out. Automatically, Kiku grabbed it with his own hand, squeezing it to reassure the Englishman. The creases in his face relaxed, a slight smile on his face and Kiku felt his heart squeeze. He didn't know this prickly pirate could make such an expression. It was mainly scowls and smirks he doled out around the ship. Then Arthur rolled away.  
With a yelp, Kiku went with the movement, and was soon crushed to Arthur's chest, locked there with the pirate captain's arms around him. Immediately, Kiku started squirming.  
"Arthur, let me go! Arthur! Hey! _Okimasu_! _Onegai_!" Although Arthur's arms did relax, Kiku couldn't escape without ending up in several awkward positions that he might not be able to shift out of. God forbid if Arthur woke up during one of them. With a sigh, Kiku relaxed against the Brit, snuggling into his warmth. Undoubtedly, Kiku could maneuver his way out of Arthur's arms, but he was tired, and this was his bed. He had as much as a right to sleep here as Arthur did. Besides, sleeping beside someone was something he hadn't done in a while. It would be . . . nice . . . even if his partner smelled like brandy and not like lilies as Yuri did. The decision made, Kiku fell asleep quickly, resting in Arthur's arms.

The next morning, Arthur woke with a splitting headache. He regretted drinking all of that brandy. It was good stuff too . . . but most of it was wasted when he kept drinking after he was far gone. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he froze at the sight that greeted him.  
Calmly asleep and completely defenseless was Kiku Honda, using Arthur's arm as a pillow. Shocked to wakefulness, Arthur looked with wide eyes as the man, and realized that their legs were entwined. Moving only when he needed to, he flexed his muscles and felt a fire where his body came in contact with Kiku's. Leg's entwined, an arm around each other's waist and so close that Arthur could smell the faint scent of the sea and chrysanthemum on Kiku.  
He really didn't want to move.  
Arthur was content to lay there with Kiku for the rest of the morning. He let his eyes drift closed again, when he heard a creak and the door opened. Arthur's eyes flashed open and he scrambled to sit up, waking Kiku in the process. Tino stood in the doorway, a tray full of food in his hands. His eyes were wide and his jaw slack.  
"You-" he began, and Arthur forced himself to face his cabin boy. "Did you use lube, at least?"

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Tino, wasn't that a bit blunt for these two? Ah ha ha ha . . . ha . . . Well, besides that, I'm so sorry it took so long, but somethings had to be done and I did them so now I'll try not to leave things undone as long as last time. **


End file.
